• Includes all of Chamberlain's known wartime letters • Shows his transformation from college professor to major general • Original writings placed into context by historian Mark Nesbitt In July 1862 Joshua Chamberlain, a family man and respected professor at Bowdoin College in Maine, joined the fight to preserve the Union. His wartime service was exemplary; he is perhaps best remembered for his outstanding leadership at Gettysburg. At all times, however, he fought bravely and well, even at Petersburg in 1864 where he received the wound that was to torment him until his death in 1914. Throughout his time in the field, Chamberlain wrote letters of recommendation to his superiors, letters of condolence to the families of soldiers killed while under his command, and letters to his family at home. All are well written, revealing the professor's educated background and elegant prose. Nesbitt's notes set the scene, place Chamberlain's writings within the larger context of the war, and make clear the General's sterling character and his sacrifices for the country he loved.

Here, for the first time, is a book that goes beyond providing just a brief battle history for each of the Civil War parks. Civil War Battlefields presents a detailed, clear narrative describing exactly what visitors can see and do in twelve important battlefield areas covering 22 campaigns and approxiamately 40 separate battles.

Series I: Contains the formal reports, both Union and Confederate, of the first seizures of United States property in the Southern States, and of all military operations in the field, with the correspondence, orders, and returns relating specially thereto, and, as proposed is to be accompanied by an Atlas. In this series the reports will be arranged according to the campaigns and several theaters of operations (in the chronological order of the events), and the Union reports of any event will, as a rule, be immediately followed by the Confederate accounts. The correspondence, etc., not embraced in the "reports" proper will follow (first Union and next Confederate) in chronological order. Volume XIV. 1885. (Vol. 14, Chap. 26) Chapter XXVI - Operations on the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Middle and East Florida. Apr 12, 1862-Jun 11, 1863